THEY are the heroes of the business world - the firms that have gone all the way to make their businesses accessible.

Nine of them in Hampshire were honoured at the first annual disability awards organised by Southampton Centre for Independent Living (SCIL).

Yesterday's awards were divided into ten categories including best small retailer, best website and best community project.

Mark Redman, development and empowerment officer at SCIL, said: "We have been overwhelmed by the amount of interest and support that has been received throughout the launch of the awards.

"The ceremony has been a milestone occasion on a long journey to achieving better access for disabled people.

"The aim of the SCIL Business and Community Awards is to raise awareness of businesses' responsibilities to meet the criteria of the changes to the Disability Discrimination Act.

"SCIL's awards coincide with these changes and recognise the communities and businesses that have endorsed them as part of their culture."

Sponsored by HSBC bank, Daily Echo publisher Newsquest and all regional and local authorities, SCIL's Business and Community Awards were launched this year to coincide with the recent changes to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

The ten awards have been specially designed to celebrate business and community achievements in making a difference to the lives of disabled people.

SCIL received nearly 300 entries for the awards, which were narrowed down to 28 finalists.

Winner of the prestigious judge's award was New Forest hotelier Tony Barnfield, proprietor of Nurse's Cottage, a guest house and restaurant in Sway, near Lymington.

Tony has spent three years making the hotel fully accessible for disabled people.

He said: "We have installed a disabled toilet in the reception.

"There are also handrails in the hotel, a walk-in shower room, text phones in the bedrooms and we are in the process of installinghearing loops."

The judges picked Nurse's Cottage because of Tony's "holistic approach to welcoming disabled people, not only as customers but as employees".

More pictures from this event, which attracted 150 people to the Rose Bowl in West End, will be featured in next Tuesday's Business South supplement in the Daily Echo.

The winners

Best Small Retailer - Nurse's Cottage; Best Large Retailer - Co-op; Best Utility - Sky; Best Website - Equipment Direct; Best Transport - Uni-link; Best Arts/Cultural - Phoenix Theatre; Best Training/Education - Southampton City College; Best Community Project - HSBC; Access All Areas Award - Therapeutics; Judges' Award - Nurse's Cottage.